| Rats used in laboratories at the University of Purdue, | | | | mix maltodextrins with an intense sweetener to |
| West Lafyatte in Indiana USA have had a tendency | | | | achieve satisfactory texture sensation. |
| of gaining more weight if they were exposed to food | | | | In the United States, five intensely-sweet sugar |
| with artificial sweetening substances. | | | | substitutes have been approved for use. They are |
| When you eat sugar, the body prepares itself for | | | | saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, and |
| calories and makes release of chemicals to handle this. | | | | acesulfame potassium. There is some ongoing |
| When you eat artificial sugar and the calories are not | | | | controversy over whether artificial sweeteners are |
| present, you will confuse the body. This can lead to | | | | health risks. This controversy is fueled by anecdotal |
| obesity as you are tricked to eat more than usually of | | | | reports and sometimes controversial studies that have |
| normal sugar content food. | | | | gained publicity. There is also an herbal supplement, |
| Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson has in their | | | | stevia, used as a sweetener. Controversy surrounds |
| research report published in Behavioral Neuroscience | | | | stevia's safety, although natural, and there is a battle |
| Journal dedicated information about these issues and | | | | over its approval as a sugar substitute. The learning |
| state they can document these phenomena's. At the | | | | lesson has to be that one should not over do the use |
| same time they agree it can be contradictory to | | | | of these "Diet" or "Light" products. Water is still the |
| nutrition expert's advice on using light variations of | | | | best source for the body, and should be used, given |
| various consumer products available to us. | | | | the access to good quality water of course. |
| There are discrepancies amongst experts that the | | | | According to nutrition experts one should avoid artificial |
| recent research report from the US researcher is | | | | sweeteners. The problematic part of artificial |
| correct or not. However, some evidence is given by | | | | sweeteners is that the body gets tricked and gets a |
| various research teams on animals and not humans. | | | | signal that something sweet is entering the system, |
| One seems not to find this effect on humans when | | | | and that leads to drop in blood sugar which again |
| doing these lab researches. | | | | increases the food intake. |
| When the insulin level in the body increases, the blood | | | | The problem is worse for those with weight problems |
| sugar level drops, and you have to eat and/or drink to | | | | or has problems with unstable blood sugar levels. Slim |
| get the blood sugar in balance again. | | | | and well trained persons will not notice the drop in |
| The artificial sweetening substance is believed to | | | | blood sugar as large as obese or inactive persons. |
| affect the production level of the insulin in the body. | | | | Natural sweetening as Erytriol and Xylitol is preferred |
| Some belive this effect is small however. Studies done | | | | to artificial ones as well as trying to avoid the refined |
| on humans have demonstrated that the calorie intake | | | | white sugar versus the less refined version. |
| is less if using the light variants instead of the normal | | | | Sugar and sweets can be addictive, even if the need |
| sugar based products. | | | | for sweets is inherited in our genes. Habits play an |
| As for diabetics, there is another side to it. It is believed | | | | important role here too, which is a trained behavior |
| that these products would be a good alternative to | | | | from childhood and onwards. By eating and drinking |
| diabetics and for those who want to loose weight. | | | | lots of sweets, regardless of type, maintains a certain |
| The artificial sweeting substances used today is very | | | | level of need for sweet consumer products. |
| well proved; however there are discrepancies in | | | | Refined sugar types introduce lots of empty energy to |
| opinions whether these substances can have a | | | | the body, which again can result in lower digestion, |
| negative effect on the human body, especially the | | | | conversion, obesity and type 2 diabetes. White sugar |
| sweetening substance. "Diet" or "light" products which | | | | also act as a thief of minerals and vitamins which |
| contain artificial sweetenersoften have notably | | | | again increase the chance of teeth illnesses, weak |
| different mouthfeel, or in table sugar replacements that | | | | bone structure, and psychiatric illnesses.. |